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What angers you most about Rush Limbaugh vis a vis Ed Shultz?

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Tom Rinaldo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Oct-24-05 09:17 PM
Original message
Poll question: What angers you most about Rush Limbaugh vis a vis Ed Shultz?
Edited on Mon Oct-24-05 09:24 PM by Tom Rinaldo
If you already know the full story behind this question, than skip right to the poll. If you want some information about what Limbaugh has been getting away with saying on Armed Forces Radio (while Ed Shultz, a moderate Democrat, had his show yanked a few hours before his first broadcast) then read the story below first which is extracted from a discussion on another DU thread that you may or may not have already seen:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2170229&mesg_id=2170229


The current controversy, which should not be controversial at all, about Armed Forces Radio blocking Ed Shultz from being added to their broadcast line up seems routine and almost dull until you learn what they currently broadcast to our men and women serving in uniform. Thanks to the efforts of "Fairness and Accuracy In Media", and to "Media Matters" it is easy to trace and show that Rush Limbaugh, as recently as this September, continues to keep alive and on the air the totally debunked rumor first broadcast on his show that the Clintons had their close personal friend Vince Foster murdered. And this is being fed to our military today.

It seems that, unlike Ed Shultz, Armed Forces Radio has no problem broadcasting Rush Limbaugh to our non partisan defenders of American liberty, but do you remember when Rush Limbaugh started spreading rumors that the Clintons had then deputy White House counsel Vincent Foster murdered? Yup, spreading rumors that the Commander in Chief, the democratically elected Resident of the United States and our First Lady, plotted the murder of long time Clinton friend Vince Foster.

First, let's go back in history to some of the broadcasts made by a man who Republicans in Congress successfully lobbied, eleven years ago, should be broadcast to our troops over Armed Forces Radio. On Rush Limbaugh's March 10th 2004 broadcast, which I note was a little over 11 years ago and was therefor already public record when the push to get Limbaugh onto Armed Forces Radio was made, Limbaugh made this announcement:

"OK, folks, I think I got enough information here to tell you about the contents of this fax that I got. Brace yourselves. This fax contains information that I have just been told will appear in a newsletter to Morgan Stanley sales personnel this afternoon.... What it is is a bit of news which says...there's a Washington consulting firm that has scheduled the release of a report that will appear, it will be published, that claims that Vince Foster was murdered in an apartment owned by Hillary Clinton, and the body was then taken to Fort Marcy Park."

My source is this archived page from F.A.I.R. but there are others:
http://www.fair.org/extra/9407/koppel-limbaugh.html

This F.A.I.R. report goes on to say:

"Limbaugh was referring to an item in a newsletter put out by the Washington, D.C. firm of Johnson Smick International. The newsletter, relating a rumor that has no apparent basis in fact, reported that White House attorney Foster's suicide occurred in an apartment owned by White House associates, and that his body was moved to the park where it was found.

Limbaugh took this baseless rumor from a small insiders' newsletter and broadcast it to his radio audience of millions, adding his own new inaccuracies: The newsletter did not report--as Limbaugh claimed--that Foster was murdered, or that the apartment was owned by Hillary Rodham Clinton. Limbaugh's repetition of an unfounded rumor has been credited (Chicago Tribune, 3/11/94; Newsweek, 3/21/94) with contributing to a plunge in the stock market on the day it was aired."

Limbaugh later appeared on an ABC special hosted by Ted Koppel (ABC Viewpoint, 4/19/94) exploring press coverage of "Whitewater". There he flatly denied suggesting in any way that Foster was murdered "Never have I suggested that this was murder," he said. However quoting again from the F.A.I.R. archive linked above:

"The executive producer of Limbaugh's TV show, Roger Ailes (a Republican campaign consultant and president of the CNBC cable network), didn't claim that his star had debunked the rumor--he boasted that Limbaugh's report of "a suicide cover up, possibly murder" was a scoop. On the Don Imus radio show, Ailes remarked: "The guy who's been doing an excellent job for the New York Post ...for the first time on the Rush Limbaugh show said that...he did not believe it was suicide.... Now, I don't have any evidence.... These people are very good at hiding or destroying evidence."

One might say that Rush Limbaugh's opinion could have differed from Roger Ailes' opinion, or that Roger Ailes did not come right out and say that Clinton had Foster murdered. I suppose one could make that case. However Limbaugh, in his smirky swarmy way, is still at his President and First Lady Clinton were murderers insinuations. Long after Republican coup appointed special prosecutor Kenneth Starr, who forced the reopening of the investigation into Foster's death, finally conceded that Foster indeed committed suicide, Limbaugh won't let it go.

Here are two remarks Rush Limbaugh made much more recently in 2004, documented by Media Matters, where he again made reference to the "rumor" about our then sitting Commander in Chief, which Limbaugh claims he had nothing to do with spreading. This is just a sample of some of the stuff that is deemed fit to be broadcast over Armed Forces Radio by Bush's censors, since Limbaugh, unlike Ed Schultz, is currently cleared to be aired:

"Media Matters for America has also documented two recent instances in which Limbaugh referred to Fort Marcy Park (in Northern Virginia, where Foster's body was found after he committed suicide), resurrecting the long-discredited right-wing claim that Vince Foster was murdered and that the Clintons were involved:

LIMBAUGH: That's why I'm telling you, whoever briefed Janet Reno, start searching Fort Marcy Park, folks. <4/13/04>

LIMBAUGH: They know that -- they're pretty confident Kerry is going to lose and if Kerry wins there's always Fort Marcy Park. So they're rolling the dice on this. <4/15/04>"
http://mediamatters.org/items/200406280004

Want another? OK this from a separate Media Matters page focused on coverage regarding Sandy Berger and his unauthorized possession of classified information, quoting from his July 2004 broadcast:

LIMBAUGH: One thing we can be sure of, ladies and gentlemen, is these missing documents will not show up in the Map Room of the White House like the Rose Law Firm billing records, unless there is a former Clinton administration official who can worm his way back into the White House and plant them there -- and Sandy Burglar, stay away from Fort Marcy Park."

Quote taken from bottom of this linked page: http://mediamatters.org/items/200407230001#20050921

Or how about much more recently, say in September of 2005? Again, from Media Matters, their September 21 2005 Report:

From the September 20 broadcast of The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: Time for another big-time El Rushbo, "See, I told you so!" Yesterday, I read a story about Cindy Sheehan in which she called out Hillary Rodham and said that Mrs. Rodham would soon be changing her mind on troops in Iraq and be demanding that they come home. And if she didn't, she might live to regret it, or words to that effect.

I said, "You don't say this about Hillary Clinton. You don't say this." I said, "By the time this story was published and Mrs. Clinton heard about it, operatives of Mrs. Clinton will have gotten to Cindy Sheehan, and she will never, ever mention Hillary's name again."

So, The New York Times today: "In an anti-war speech by Cindy Sheehan, the mother of an American soldier killed in Iraq, was cut short yesterday after the organizer of the event was arrested and police officers confiscated his audio equipment.

"Mrs. Sheehan has not shied away from controversy, opening her New York visit on Sunday night in Brooklyn, by accusing Senator Hillary Rodham of failing to challenge the Bush administration's policies in Iraq. Ms. Sheehan, who did not mention Ms. Clinton yesterday..." Da, da, da, da, da, da, da and she will not mention her again, ladies and gentlemen, unless she wants to end up in Fort Marcy Park. Mark my words on it."
http://mediamatters.org/items/200509210002

So I forget, what was it again that Ed Schultz said that was so unflattering to Americas Commander in Chief that he got barred from Armed Forces Radio? Must have been pretty disrespectful, to top the stuff that Rush is allowed to put out.

We all need to join Wes Clark, if you haven't already done so, in demanding that Ed Shultz be allowed to broadcast on Armed Forces Radio as had previously been agreed to:

http://ga4.org/campaign/edschultz/step1.tcl

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kikiek Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Oct-24-05 09:21 PM
Response to Original message
1. Hell Limbaugh bragged about being an "unpaid advisor" to the Bush
"re-election" (I don't believe he was ever elected) campaign. He broadcast daily to how many potential voters? I never heard of Kerry getting equal time.
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madeline_con Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Oct-24-05 09:24 PM
Response to Original message
2. Rush hasn't been deported yet....
Edited on Mon Oct-24-05 09:25 PM by madeline_con
as he said drug addicts should be. :grr:
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LittleClarkie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Oct-24-05 09:33 PM
Response to Reply #2
4. I think Snopes debunked that
It was a myth that he said something that so obviously would apply to him now.
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AX10 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Oct-24-05 09:30 PM
Response to Original message
3. I'm pissed that he's allowed to speak.
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Donna Zen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Oct-24-05 09:44 PM
Response to Original message
5. Limbaugh should not be broadcast to anyone
and that means the armed forces too.

He is a liar and does everything in his power to keep this nation divided. People who listen to him believe the weirdest stuff. They told me that Kerry would stop ALL hunting. They absolutely believe that Hillary killed Vince Foster. You can't even talk to them about it.

Ed Schultz has received kudos at times from DU, but not always. He is basically "middle-of-the-road" leaning left. He takes right-wing calls as well as liberal ones, and keeps his cool. Schultz isn't a lying drug addict.

The two are not really comparable. Really. If talk radio is to broadcast on AFR, then the least they can do is include Big Ed. The best move they can make is include Big Ed and take Rush off the air.

I'm really angry because nothing is being done about this censorship. We have some scary times coming if there are indictments this week. How will this be portrayed to the troops?
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Tom Rinaldo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Oct-24-05 10:21 PM
Response to Original message
6. I've said this elsewhere also. I want Hillary to speak up on this
I am afraid she wants nothing to do with anything that brings up her struggle with the American Right during her husband's presidency, but no one could speak more powerfully about this issue than her if she wanted to. And since she is my Senator, I want her to. She should be a leader on this one. She staked out a position for herself about caring about our military, so she should care about this, for personal, political, and principled reasons.
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Tom Rinaldo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-25-05 08:33 AM
Response to Original message
7. I must admit I'm surprised by the results so far.
Edited on Tue Oct-25-05 09:15 AM by Tom Rinaldo
I expected the votes to be more heavily weighed toward the first three options. I was the sole vote for number three. Armed Forces Radio is a national institution. The bald faced hypocrisy of the programmers is mind boggling to me.

However having said that, I can't disagree with the folks voting for numbers four and five. We have to expect our enemies (and I intentionally call them enemies here rather than opponents) to fight dirty. But who will hold them accountable and what are we going to do about it are the only real questions.
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Donna Zen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-25-05 10:07 AM
Response to Reply #7
9. Voted for #4
After rereading the options, I find #3 and #4 to be very close.

I'm wondering if the progressive community really cares about this issue.

:shrug: :shrug:
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Jai4WKC08 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-25-05 04:09 PM
Response to Reply #9
11. I'm a little disappointed in the progressive community as well
That there hasn't been a more agressive response to this latest action by Bush's Pentagon civilians.

Two critical issues at stake:

1) Media manipulation. The way the GOP controls the media is what allows all the rest of the bad shit they do happen. Even vote fraud wouldn't be possible if we had responsible investigative journalism.

2) Politicizing the military. Lots of GOP money goes to making soliders (marines, sailors, airmen etc) think that only the Repubs take care of 'em.

This country was founded on a principle of civilian control of the military. Not Republican or right-wing control, but control by whatever civilian leadership the nation should elect.

Many of Bill Clinton's foreign policy problems were a direct result of his sense that he didn't have the full support of his generals, and he felt forced to select a Repub for Sec of Defense for exactly that reason. There were rumors that Kerry planned to do the same.

God help us if the military gets to the point where they refuse to obey and support an administration they don't approve of.

Please people. Write your local papers. Write or call AFRTS at afrtpln@hq.afis.osd.mil or 703-428-0619. Write or call your congressmen and women, using the WesPAC form at http://ga4.org/campaign/edschultz or write your own letters (you can do that with the WesPAC form as well).

But PLEASE don't let this GOP bullshit go unchallenged.
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Tom Rinaldo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-25-05 08:33 AM
Response to Original message
8. Self Delete: Duplicate posting. n/t
Edited on Tue Oct-25-05 08:34 AM by Tom Rinaldo
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Tom Rinaldo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-25-05 01:00 PM
Response to Original message
10. Very different results than at dkos. Interesting.
Edited on Tue Oct-25-05 01:02 PM by Tom Rinaldo
I just ran this same poll at my new diary over there where I've talked about the same issue: http://www.dailykos.com/user/Tom%20Rinaldo

With 139 votes in, here is how it breaks down over there:

#1: 36 Votes/ 25%
#2: 5 Votes/ 3%
#3: 15 Votes/ 10%
#4: 38 Votes/ 27%
#5: 33 Votes/ 23%
#6: 12 Votes/ 8%

The difference that jumps out at me is that a higher percentage of Kos voters picked being angriest at Rush and a significantly lower percentage picked being angriest at Congress. That and the fact that 8% there picked "Forget it" compared to 0% here. Of course the numbers are small and there ain't nothing scientific about this, but I think the fact that two thirds of DU voters picked anger at Congress compared to just over a fourth of dkos voters is a clear enough difference to mean something, I'm just not sure what.

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Adelante Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-25-05 04:50 PM
Response to Reply #10
12. Why I voted #4
Because I want people to sign the goddamned petition.
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Donna Zen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-25-05 08:31 PM
Response to Reply #12
13. Well, yes there is that too!
I've been reading all of the Fitz posts around the net today. Someone mentioned that the troops will be hearing about all of this, and that made me think about Limbaugh's lying and the need--absolute need--for them to hear a sane explanation about what's going on.

As we write and read here, are brothers and sisters are in harms way. Framing the investigation and its fallout are very important. I'm very concerned about this.

I hope that congress, and all progressives-liberals-whatever demand that the troops can at least hear another side of the news.

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Tom Rinaldo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-26-05 07:49 AM
Response to Reply #13
14. Indictments aren't in yet. Neither is Ed Shultz on AFR yet
Edited on Wed Oct-26-05 07:49 AM by Tom Rinaldo
Limbaugh still is however. Before all the excitement hits there is still time to take a few minutes to write your Congressional Representatives about this, actually it only takes a few seconds if you use the link that Clark provides since it automatically routes emails to those who represent you:
http://ga4.org/campaign/edschultz

We complain so often about Right wing control of the media and here we have an instance where the United States Senate last year voted unanimously that balance was needed on Armed Forces Radio and a partisan hack yanked Ed Shultz off the schedule before his first broadcast.

We can do something about this if accomplishing something means more to us than complaining.
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